Lighting system



Aug' '21 J. w. LAwsoN A 2,383,205

LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed'oct. 25, 1942 2l v i 1;.

244 2% amc/fr I Z3 TAIL LAMP amar-adr AlY/NG LAMP Q CQ;-

' 4f az 7 Patented Aug. 2'1, 1945 "2,383,202 l eral Motors Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a, corporation of Delaware i n i NroFFicE Applicationoctober 23, 1942, serial No. 463,119 44 claims. `(ci. 315-83) Thisinvention relates to lighting systems for automobiles `and aims to.provide for the addition to the `regular automobile lighting `system ofblack-out lights controlled by an auxiliary switch which operates whenturning on any of the blackout lights to prevent turning on any of theregular lamps `of `the automobile by the main lighting switch.

Further objects and advantages of thepresent invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had'to the accompany ingdrawing wherein a preferred embodiment of` the present invention isclearly shown,

In thedrawing: 4 Fig. 1 is a wiring diagram of a lightingsystem forautomobiles having regular or service lanips controlled by a` switch,and black-out lamps controlled by a switch whichcontrols circuitsleading to the service lamp switch.

Figs. 2 and 3 show other positions of the biackoutswitch. i i i 1 InFig. l the service lamp switch is indicated generally by numeral l andthe black-out lamp 1 switchby numeral 30.` The service lampswitch illhas movable contact II and stationarycontacts I2, I3,` I4, land IB.Contacts I2 and I3 are connected by strap I1. Contacts I2 and I3 areconnected by wire I8, leading to acontact 4U .of switch 3D, which in theoff position provides a connection between wire I8 and the battery 20.`Contact `I4 is` connected with parking lamps 2|,

contact I5 is connected with tail-lamp filaments 22; and contact I6 isconnected witha dimmer switch `23 which, in theposition shown, `makes a,connection with the main headlight filaments' 4o of bissisout'iightswitch au and wire iii. Then the service lamps can be controlled bytheservice light switch. In Hg. 1 switch Contact l is shown inthe-offposition. In the rston posi-tion contact II imoves to the Aright toconnect contacts I2, I4` and I5, This connectsthe parking lamp laments*2| andthe tail-lamp filaments 22 with the battery. In the second onposition contact II connects contacts I3, |5and I6,` inorments 22 andwith the dimmerswitch 23 bywhich either `the main laments 24 or` thedepressed beam filament 25 of lamps 26 `may be connected`v with thebattery.

When the black-.out` lamp switch is in the off position, shown in Fig.1, contact 3| connects contacts 34 and 4|. A connection is providedbetween the battery 20, stop-light switch 44 and the service stoplightlan'ient 21 through al circuit which includes contact 36, fuse 43,contact 31, stop-light switch 44, and contacts 4|,` 3|, 34. YThus theblack-out lamp switch'3lliprovides a connection in the off positionoftheswitch between the stop-light switch 44 and the service stop-lampfilament 21.. In the first on position of the black-out lampcontacts`3l, 32, shown in Fig. 2, the contact 3| separates from contact34 24 or, in the dot-and-dash line position 23a,

ifnaliesa` connection with the depressed beam filaments 25 of theservice headlamps 26.

The black-out switch 3o hasmovablei contacts 3| and 32, mechanicallyconnected ,by part 33,

and stationary-contacts 34, 35,` 36, 31, 38, 33, 40 and 4|, Contact 34is connected with service stop-lamp filaments 21; contact 35' isconnected with black-out stop-lamp filament 42; contact 36 is connectedwith battery 2|);'contact' 31 is` connected by fuse 43 to contact 38 andwith stoplight switch 44 which is connected `with contact 4I Contact 38is connected with black-out driving lamp filament 45; contact 39 isconnected with black-out marker lamp filaments 46 land the black-outtail-lamp lainent 41.

When black-out switch contacts 3| and 32 are `in the off position shownin Fig. 1, battery 20 is connected with contacts I2 and I3 of theservice light switch I0, through contacts 36, 32 and so that the servicestop-lights 21 can not be operatedby the `stop-li'ghtswitcl'i- 44, andconnects contacts 35 and 4| so that, when the stop-.light switch 44` isclosed, only the black-out stop-lamp filament 42 will burn. In the`iirst oniposition cf theblack-out switch 30, contact 32 `moves awayfrom contact 4B to disconnect the battery 2G from f the service lampswitch l0 and to make a connection between contacts 31 and 39 therebyconnecting the battery with the black-out marker lampsd and with theblackout tail-lamps 41.

In the second on positionof the black-out lampswitch,v shown in Fig. 3,the contact 3| connects contacts'35 and 4|, as shown in Fig; 3, so thatvthe stop-light switch 44 `will control the black-out stop lamp filament"42. Contact 32conne`cts" contacts 31, 38 and"39 so that the battery`2li is connected with the blacki outr marker lamp 43, the black-outtail lamp 41 and the black-out driving lamp`45.

The present invention provides for adding to aniexisting automobilelighting system comprising service headlamps, service parking lamps,

` service stop and tail-lamps, and the main control switch, a dimmerswitch and a stop-light switch, all of the necessary equipment requiredfor a black-out without discarding any of the switches of the servicelighting system. To the conventional service lighting system are added ablackout driving lamp, black-out marker lamps, a black-out stop-lamp andtail-lamp and an auX- iliary black-out control switch which controls theconnection between the battery and service lamp switch so that theservice lamps cannot be operated when any of the black-out lamps areturned on. The black-out lamp switch selectively controls the connectionbetween the stoplight switch and the service stop-lamp filament or theblack-out stop-lamp filaments. In case the service stop-lamp is in 4anon position when the black-out signal is given, the turning on of any ofthe black-out lamps immediately turns off any of the service lamps whichmay have been burning. While the embodiment of the present invention asherein disclosed, constitutes a'preferred form, it is to be understoodthat other forms might =be adopted, all coming within the scope of theclaims which follow. Y What is claimed is as follows: 1. An automobilelighting system comprising service lamp 'filaments including head andtaillamp filaments and a stop-light filament, blackout lamp filamentslincluding `driving and tail lamp filaments and a stop-light filament, acurrent source, a service lamp switch' for controlling the service headand tail lamp filaments, a stoplight switch for controlling either theservice stop-light filament or the black-out stop-light filament andhaving a movable contact connected with the source and a terminalcontact adapted to be engaged by the movable contact, and a, black-outlamp controlling switch having an ofi position providing a connectionbetween the source and service lamp switch and a con. nection betweenthe terminal contact of the stoplight switch and the service stop-lightlament,

and having an on position providing for in-- terruption of theconnection between the current source and service lamp switch and of theconnection between saidy terminal contact of the stoplight switch andthe service stop-light filamentand providinga connection between saidterminal contact of the stop-light switch and the black-out stop-lightlament.

with' the black-out stop-light filament, and having a second on positionfor making the connections and disconnections of the first on positionand also for connecting the source with the black-out driving lamp.

3. A n automobile lighting system comprising, service lampfilamentsincluding head and taillamp filaments and a stop-light filament;4blackout lamp filaments including `driving and tail lamp filaments and astop-light filament; a current source; a service lamp switch forcontrolling the service head and tail lamp filaments; a blackout switchhaving. an off position and a plurality of on positions, said black-outswitch including a first group of contacts and a second group ofcontacts, each' group of contacts in' cluding a movable contact andstationary contacts; means for moving the movable contactssimultaneously; means for electrically connecting Y two of thestationary contacts of the second group with the` source; conductingVmeans for lelectrically connecting one of said connected sta-` tionarycontacts with one.of the stationary contacts of the first group, saidconnecting means including a stop-light switch for controllingconnections either to the service stop-light filament or the black-outstop-light lament, said blackout switch' when in its ,oi positionconductively `connecting-the service lamp switch with and also providinga connection whereby the black-out stop-light filament can be connectedwith the source upon closing of the stop-light switch.v f

4. An automobile lighting system comprising,

. service lamp filaments for normal night driving ing lamp, marker lamp,tail-lamp and stop-light filaments; a service lamp switch having an offposition, a first on position for causing the parking` and tail-lampfilaments to burn, and a second on position for causing the head-lampandv tail-lamp filaments to burn;A a current source; a stop-light switchhaving a movable Y contact connecte-d with the source and a terminaladapted to lbe engaged by the movable contact; and a black-out lightswitch having an 01T position providing a' connection between the sourceand the service lamp vswitch and between the service'stop-light and theother terminal of the stop-light switch, and having a first on positiondisconnecting the source from the servicelamp switch and connecting thesource with the black-out tail and marker laments and connecting saidterminal of the stop-light switch and a stop-light lamp filament;auxiliary lamp filamentsr for black-out driving and a black-outstop-light lamp filament; a current source; a

service lamp switch for controlling the service lamp filaments; astop-light switch for controlling either th'e service-stop lightfilament or the black-out stop-light lament and having a movableconta-ct and a` stationary contact, one of said contacts being connectedwith the source; and a black-out lamp filament controllingswitch havinga connectionwith the source and having connections with the service lampswitch and the stop light switch, said last mentioned connections beingarranged so that service lamp switch is connected with the source onlywhen the black-out is in the o position and when the black-out switch ismoved to an on position, said circuit connections from the source totherservice lamp switch are interrupted and certain black-outlamentconnections are connected with the source', said certain connectionbeing dependent upon the particular on position of the black-out switch.

JOHN w.` LAwsoN.

